Table roll



o. B. DENOYER ET Al. 3,443,295

May 13, 1969 TABLE ROLL Sheet Filed Feb. 4, 1966 fJ.Z

INVENTORS May 13, 1969 D. B. DENOYER ET AL 3,443,295

TABLE ROLL Sheet 2 of2 Filed Feb. 4, 1966 m w w lm W @A \N m k. 1 0/ a m W. \W M D o United States Patent US. Cl. 29116 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A table roll for providing a dewatering support for a Fourdrinier wire having a roll shell disposed at the outside thereof and an internal supporting shaft having bearing supports at both ends and at the longitudinal center and having a bracket means fitted about the ends of the roll sleeve with bearing means operably disposed between the shaft and the bracket means and having means for adjusting the ends of the shaft relative to the ends of the roll shell in a radial direction wherein the adjustment means includes said bracket means and means for pivotally coupling the bracket means to the end of the internal shaft.

This invention relates to a table roll for a paper machine having a support means for holding the roll in substantial alignment and more particularly relates to a table roll having an internal shaft means which is bearing mounted to the roll shell at the longitudinal center thereof and which is provided with end clamp means which may be adjusted to cause the shaft to exert an upward thrust on the roll shell at the bearing mount.

The roll supporting structure of this invention may be applicable to a variety of uses where loads are required to be sustained on a horizontal rotating shaft with a minimum of shaft deflection. However, the table roll as described herein is especially suited to a papermaking machine for providing a dewatering support beneath a Fourdrinier wire.

In the manufacturing of paper, a water suspension of pulp is deposited on a moving Fourdrinier wire where it is dewatered to form a Web. The web is then removed for being pressed, dried and polished as required. However, the finished quality of the paper is dependent upon the proper formation of the web at the initial stages on the Fourdrinier wire. At that point it is important that the wire be maintained substantially horizontal which requires a substantially straight supporting roll. However, the weight of the wire and web tend to deflect the table roll generating a sag in the vertical direction. In addition, the movement of the Web itself tends to deflect the roll in the direction of the wire travel.

The sagging of the support roll has been accentuated by the development of wider paper machines (30 feet or more) requiring longer table rolls. Added rigidity cannot efliciently be obtained by increasing the diameter of the rolls, as optimum roll diameters are specified for maximum advantages in the water removal process.

Therefore, it is a principal object of this invention to provide a supporting roll having a substantial length as compared to diameter which is capable of sustaining transverse loading with a minimum deflection.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a table roll support for a Fourdrinier wire which employs an internal shaft means which exerts an upward thrust on the rotating roll due to an adjustable deflection of the shaft relative to the outer roll shell.

It is another object of this invention to provide a table roll for a Fourdrinier wire having an inner shaft means which is bearing mounted centrally of an outer roll shell and which employs adjustment clamps at the ends of the roll for radially deflecting the ends of the inner shaft about the central support bearing.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a ball and socket clamp means for the ends of a table roll for the purpose of deflecting an inner shaft means about a central bearing which is operably disposed between the shaft means and an outer roll shell.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a table roll having a roll shell which is rotatably supported externally thereof at a central rigidifying shaft means, wherein the ends of the shaft means are adjustably clamped to the ends of the roll shell for being deflected about the internal bearing support to exert an upward thrust on the loaded areas of the roll shell.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be understood in greater detail from the following description and the associated drawings wherein reference numerals are utilized in designating a preferred embodiment and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary schematic showing of a portion of a Fourdrinier section of a paper machine illustrating the location of table rolls;

FIGURE 2 is an elevated view of a table supporting roll according to this invention illustrating the general configuration of the external features associated with the roll shell and the end support assemblies;

FIGURE 3 is an elevated end view of a table roll assembly according to this invention illustrating the adjustment means for varying the radial positioning of the ends of the rigidifying shaft; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of a supporting roll of this invention as taken along the lines IV-IV of FIGURE 3. a

This invention concerns a table roll which utilizes an inner coaxial rigidifying shaft for supporting the major part of the distributed weight of a Fourdrinier wire traveling against the surface of an outer roll shell. The roll shell is mounted for rotation both externally and internally thereof, and due to this mounting, means can be readily provided for deflecting the inner shaft in such a manner as to oppose deflection of the roll shell which would otherwise result from the weight of the Fourdrinier wire, of the shell, and of the associated Web.

By mounting the roll shell for rotation at the external surface thereof the inner rigidifying shaft can have an outer diameter which is radially spaced from the inside of the roll shell along the entire length thereof from the central bearing support thereby providing deflection space for absorbing the weight applied to the roll shell as well as the weight of the shell and shaft. Also, by providing a bearing assembly between the outer surface of the inner shaft and the inner surface of the roll shell a fulcrum is offered about which the ends of the inner shaft may be deflected relative to the ends of the roll shell. This deflection of the inner shaft then effectively stresses the roll shell in opposition to stresses resulting from the weight of the traveling Fourdrinier wire and web.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, FIGURE 2 illustrates a typical working environment for the supporting table roll of this invention. FIGURE 2 is a typical Fourdrinier section with a traveling Fourdrinier wire 10 being supported horizontally such that the water pulp suspension is deposited onto the wire from a head box 11. The wire is supported by a breast roll 12 and the pulp suspension forms a web on the wire in a well understood manner which passes over the dewatering mechanism consisting of the table rolls 13, 14 and 15 and a suction box 16. The formed web is then taken off the wire following a subsequent roll known as the couch roll (not shown) whereupon it is pressed, dried and polished, also in a well understood manner. It is the weight of the wire and associated web on the rolls 13, 14 and 15 which has presented the sagging problem especially associated with increasing roll lengths.

A table roll 13 constructed according to this invention is shown generally in FIGURE 2 and consists of a roll shell 17 and end bracket supports 18.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 4 jointly, the roll shell 17 is rotatably supported within the end bracket 18 at a roller bearing assembly 19. The bearing assembly 19 is mounted at the outer surface 20 of the roll shell 17 and is maintained in position against a shoulder 21.

An inner rigidifying shaft 22 is disposed axially within the roll shell 17 and is substantially complementarily formed with the inner contour of the roll shell. The shaft 22 is hearing mounted to the inner surface of the roll shell 17 at a roller bearing assembly 23. The hearing 23 is mounted within the shell 17 in a well understood manner and the shell 17 is provided with rims 24 and 25 and labyrinth grooves 26 for defining and sealing a lubricant pocket 27 which holds the roller bearing assembly 23. It is to be noted that the sectional illustration of FIGURE 4 is broken at points 28 and 29 for the purpose of condensing the length of the table roll. However, the bearing assembly 23 is deployed substantially centrally of the longitudinal axis of the assembly and the remaining portions of the shaft extend in both directions of the bearing 23 so as to be spaced as at 30 from the inner surface of the roll shell 17. It is apparent therefore that the end 31 of the shaft 22 may be deflected within the roll shell 17 using the bearing 23 as a fulcrum point.

The end 31 of the shaft 22 is pivotally connected to an adjustment bracket 32 which is an important part of the clamping means of this invention. The bracket 32 is connected to the end 31 of the shaft 22 through a ball and socket assembly consisting of a ball 33 having an integral shaft 34 securely positioned within a sleeve 35 of an adjustment plate 36.

The socket portion of the ball and socket connection is formed in two sections at the end 31 of the shaft 22. The first section 37 has an end face 38 abutting the end face 39 of the shaft 22 and a cylindrical wall portion 40 which is press fitted within the interior of the shaft as at 41. The socket section 37 has a spherical surface 42 for receiving the ball 33 in a well understood manner.

The second section 43 of the socket assembly is formed similar to the first section 37 and is attached thereto by a bolt 44 which secures both sections to the shaft 22, as at 45, and which pivotally locks the ball portion 33 within the socket assembly.

The adjustment plate 36 which supports the shaft 34 of the ball and socket assembly is slidably mounted between a slide bracket 46 and raised faces 47 and 48 of the sleeve bracket 18. The slide bracket 46 consists of slide strips 49 and 50 which are secured to the end face 51 of the sleeve bracket 18 by a plurality of bolts 52. The slide strips 49, 50 have edges 53 and 54 which are maintained in a spaced relationship with the end face 51 to provide parallel grooves for receiving the outside edges 55 and 56 of the adjustment plate 36.

The adjustment plate 36 is provided with a boss 57, and the sleeve bracket 18 is provided with a lift lug 58. The boss 57 and the lug 58 cooperate to provide a clamp for deflecting the shaft 22 about the fulcrum offered by the bearing 23. The clamping action is accomplished by inserting an adjustment bolt 59 through the lug 58 and threadedly receiving the end portion 60 of the bolt 59 within an internally threaded bore 61 of the boss 57. A locking nut 62 is provided in a well understood manner for firmly securing a given setting of the bolt 59.

Effectively, the clamping action which is accomplished through the use of the adjustment bolt 59 is developed directly between the roll shell 17 and the inner rigidifying shaft 22. The immediate components clamped are the end sleeve 18 and the adjustment plate 36. However, the end sleeve 18 is securely mounted to the bearings 19 at the external surface of the roll sleeve 17. Also, the adjustment plate 36 is secured through the ball and socket connection directly to the end 31 of the shaft 22. Therefore, the tightening of the bolt 59 will exert a downward force on the end bracket 18 and an equal and opposite upward force on the inner shaft 22 in the vicinity of the ball and socket assembly, 33-35. Since this clamping action occurs at both ends of the shaft 22, and since the shaft 22 is fixedly mounted to the roll shell 17 in a radial direction at the roller bearing 23, the shaft 22 will deflect at the ends 31 in the direction of the applied clamping force. The resulting upward force at the center bearing 23 will cancel the load of the wire and web for leaving the roll shell 17 substantially stress free and therefore undeflected.

Since the inner shaft 22 is deflected about a fulcrum provided by the bearing 23, the ends 31 of the shaft 22 will travel in an arcuate path relative to the planar movement of the adjustment plate 36. However, the provision for the ball and socket connection accommodates the arcuate movement of the shaft ends 31 to the planar movement of the adjustment plate 36 by allowing the end of the shaft to rotate freely about the vertical movement of the ball 33. Due to the accommodation provided by the ball and socket connection, the end adjustment can be made with a small crescent wrench or the like.

As the central bearing 23 sustains a substantial loading effect due to the stressed condition of the inner shaft 22, suitable means must be provided for proper lubrication. In this invention a lubrication feed line 63 is connected through a fitting 64 to the face 65 of the ball 33. A channel 66 is formed centrally through the ball and shaft assembly 33 and 34 to a fitting 67 where lubrication may be applied under pressure as is well understood. The lubrication line 63 feeds the bearing 23 through an opening 68 formed within the wall 69 of the inner shaft 22. To prevent unnecessary rotation of the ball 33, which could loosen the lubrication fittings, a slot 70 is provided within the complementary socket members 37 and 43, and a pin 71 is inserted through the slot 70 for being tightly received within an opening 72 in the ball 33.

In addition to the clamping adjustment provided by the bolts 59, the entire table roll may be raised or lowered within a machine stand 73. The stand 73 is provided with vertical guide rails 74 and 75 which receive end flanges 76 and 77 of a facing plate 78 which is rigidly secured by way of guide means to the housing 1 8 by a plurality of bolts 79. The elevation of the table roll itself therefore may be altered by sliding the entire assembly within the guide members 74 and 75. The assembly may then be locked into position through the provision for locking bolts 80 and 81 which act jointly with a vertical positioning nut '82 in a well understood manner. A locking pin 83 maintains the adjusted setting of the positioning nut 82.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein may be accomplished without departing from the scope of the principles taught by this invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. A table roll for providing a dewatering support for a Fourdrinier wire comprising:

a roll shell for being positioned across a paper machine,

a sleeve bracket fitted about the oposite ends of the roll shell and an end bearing disposed between the inner surface of each of said sleeve brackets and the outer surface of said roll shell for rotatably supporting the shell,

a shaft means disposed axially within the roll shell and having an outer surface spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the roll shell,

at least one bearing operably mounted intermediate the shaft and the roll shell in the vicinity of the longitudinal center of the shaft,

adjustment means connected between the shaft and the sleeve bracket for adjusting the radial positioning of the ends of the shaft relative to the bearing supported longitudinal center,

said sleeve bracket carried on said end bearing so that the force of said adjustment means is transmitted directly between the shaft and roll shell.

2. A supporting roll assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein said adjustment means comprises an adjustment bracket mounted for slidable movement substantially perpendicular to the axis of said roll shell and pivotally connected to said shaft means whereby translation of said adjustment bracket causes a deflection of said shaft means under normal loading conditions of said roll shell, and

a lift lug mounted at said sleeve bracket and an adjustment bolt slidably received within said lift lug and threaded within said adjustment bracket for determining the radial location of said pivotally connected shaft means within said roll shell.

3. A supporting roll assembly in accordance with claim 1 wherein a pivotal ball and socket connection is provided between said adjustment means and said shaft rneans whereby a planar movement of said adjustment means is accommodated to an arcuate movement of said shaft means.

4. A table roll comprising:

a roll shell,

a shaft means disposed axially within the roll shell and having an outer surface spaced inwardly of the inner surface of the roll shell,

bracket means including an adjustment means disposed adjacent to the longitudinal ends of the roll shell,

a first bearing means operably disposed between the bracket means and the roll shell,

said bracket means being carried directly on said bearing means,

at least one second bearing means operably disposed intermediate the shaft and the roll shell in the vicinity of the longitudinal center of the shaft,

said bracket means and adjustment means coupled between the shaft and said first hearing means for adjusting the radial positioning of the ends of the shaft relative to the longitudinal center thereof,

the reaction force on the bracket means from the shaft ends being transferred directly to the ends of said roll shell.

5. A table roll in accordance with claim 4 wherein said adjustment means is pivotally coupled between the longitudinal ends of said shaft and said bracket means.

6. A table roll in accordance with claim 5 wherein said pivotal coupling comprises a ball and socket joint formed between the ends of the shaft and the bracket means.

7. A supporting roll assembly comprising:

.a roll shell formed of substantially cylindrical stock susceptible of deflecting under normal loading conditions,

a rigidifying shaft means disposed longitudinally within said roll shell,

bearing means operably disposed between the shaft means and the roll shell in the vicinity of the longitudinal center thereof,

clamp means operably connected between the roll shell and the shaft for forcibly raising the ends of the shaft means relative to the ends of the roll shell and for developing an upward force on the roll shell at the central bearing means,

said clamp means having an external bearing suport for rotatably mounting said roll shell and an adjustment bracket having a ball and socket connection to said shaft means and an adjustment bolt for radially positioning the end of the shaft means within the roll shell to maintain substantial axial alignment of the roll shell under varying load conditions by generating .a compensating deflection of the shaft means, and adjustment means for varying the setting of the clamp means and for adjusting thereby the upward force on the roll shell in accordance with the loading conditions of the roll, said clamp means carried on said external hearing so that the force of the adjustment ball and socket is transferred directly between said shaft and said roll shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 242,058 5/ 1881 Schurmann. M 1,868,860 7/ 1932 Von Reis.

3,161,125 12/1964 Hornbostel 100-155 3,168,435 2/ 1965 Beachler. 3,273,492 9/1966 Justus 29-116 X BILLY I. WILHITE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. 

